Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Heraklion?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Heraklion or Krakow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Heraklion and Krakow can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Heraklion or Krakow?
Heraklion
The largest city on the island of Crete, Heraklion on first glance is almost completely modern - a frenzy of traffic, concrete, and dust. Do not expect pristine beaches and glittering waves (those can be found on other parts of Crete). Heraklion is first and foremost a city. Once you get past its grittiness, you will find that there are some attractive features beneath first impressions. The antiquity of the place lies embedded in the modern and is presented in one of the best museums in Greece, the food is excellent, and the people are friendly and welcoming. And though the sea is not great for swimming, its presence along the Venetian port will take you to another time if you need a break from Heraklion's bustling center.
Krakow
Krakow is Poland's second largest city. It sits on both sides of the Wisla River at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. There are more than 1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area. Krakow is known as a historical and beautiful city that is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tourism makes up a large part of the city's economy, but there is also a university and several local colleges which are major employers as well. Technology has grown in recent years and the city has some notable employees including Google, IBM and Motorola. Other important industries include steel, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHeraklion €158Krakow €60
The average daily cost (per person) in Heraklion is €158, while the average daily cost in Krakow is €60. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Heraklion and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHeraklion €81Krakow €39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHeraklion €162Krakow €78
Compare Hotels in Heraklion and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Heraklion or Krakow? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Heraklion Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Heraklion €31Krakow €6.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Heraklion
Also for Heraklion, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Acqua Plus Water Park Admission with Optional Transfer: $32
- Crete Private Taxi Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Bali: $95
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Malia: $81
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Panormo: $103
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos: $122
- Crete Private Transfer from Heraklion to Hersonissos: $51
- Day Cruise from Heraklion with Catamaran & Transfer service: $123
- From Airport to Elounda Private Transfer: $107
- From Private Helicopter Transfer to Greek Islands: $4,021
- Heraklion Airport (HER): Private Transfer to Heraklion Port: $105
- Heraklion Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Heraklion city: $137
- Heraklion Int Airport (HER): Transfer to Heraklion hotels: $137
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Zakopane to Chocholow Thermal Pools 3h Ticket with Hotel Transfer: $93
- Zakopane and Sleigh Ride with Transfers and Lunch Option: $186
- Zakopane Tour from Krakow with Transfers and Lunch Option: $65
- Zakopane Private Transfer from to Krakow or Krakow Airport: $253
- Wroclaw: Private Transfer from/to Krakow: $248
- Wooden Architecture Museum Private Transfer Round Trip: $153
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour with Hotel Transfers: $65
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour from Krakow with Hotel Transfer: $77
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $747
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- VAN Private transfer: Krakow Airport - Krakow City: $43
- Two Krakow Airport Transfers, Auschwitz-Birkenau & Salt Mine: $161
Is it cheaper to fly into Heraklion or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Heraklion change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayHeraklion €52Krakow €12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Troy Dinner-Show: $33
- Spectacular Dinner-Show: $44
- From Village Cretan Night, Live Dancers & dinner: $48
- Cretan Night with Dinner & Live Show: $49
- Crete: Olive Oil Festival, Farm Dinner, Live Show & Pickup: $59
- Cretan Farm with scenic view: Olive Mill Festival & dinner: $64
- Amazing Sunset Safari Route with Dinner: $84
- Cook with Locals | Cretan cooking Class at Archanes (transfer - lunch included): $86
- Crete: Land Rover Safari with Sunset Viewing, Dinner, & Wine: $90
- Full-Day Jeep Safari Tour with Cooking Lesson: $97
- Food tour tasting walking tour: $123
- E-bike Food Tour Tasting in Heraklion : $125
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krakow
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.
- Walking Street Food Tour: $22
- From Polish Folk Show with All-You-Can-Eat Dinner: $32
- Polish Folk Show and Dinner From Krakow: $40
- Folk Show & 3-Course Dinner at Jama Michalika Café: $44
- Romantic Dinner with a Cruise on the Vistula River: $47
- Brewery Dinner -center of Krakow : $49
- Krakow : Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun ! Book Now!: $59
- Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun in Krakow: $63
- Cabaret Show with Optional Dinner: $69
- Half-Day Krakow Food Tour in Old Town and Kazimierz: $83
- 4-Hour Polish Food Tour: $88
- Polish Pierogi Cooking Class with Farmer's Market Shopping: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Heraklion €38Krakow €19
Tours and Activities in Heraklion
For Heraklion, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Heraklion Area: CRETAquarium Admission Ticket: $8.56
- CRETAquarium Entrance Ticket in Crete: $8.73
- Mobile Self-Guided Audio Sightseeing Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Crete: Palace of Knossos E-Ticket and Optional Audio Guide: $11
- Herakleion: City Self-Guided Game & Tour: $12
- Heraklion Market & CretAquarium *Skip the line: $16
- Heraklion City Tour - Aquarium: $17
- Knossos Palace: E-ticket with Audio and Heraklion City Tour: $18
- Party Bike 1 hour Experience in Malia : $19
- Knossos Self-Guided Treasure Hunt & Tour KIDS: $21
- Minoan Day Experience: $22
Tours and Activities in Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $64
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine 1-Day Tour: $141
- Rynek Underground Museum Guided Tour: $25
- Rynek Underground Museum, Old Town and St. Mary's Basilica Tour: $50
- 1 Day Auschwitz Birkenau Museum Guided Tour Hotel Pick up: $44
- 1 Day Trip Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $34
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $21
- 120 min Old Town Segway Tour in Krakow: $49
- 2 Days Tour in Wawel Hill, Jewish Quarter and Wieliczka with Guide and Lunch: $187
- 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $273
- 2 Hours Old Town Guided Bike Tour in Krakow: $27
- 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in The Old Town of Krakow: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHeraklion €26Krakow €6.32
Sample the Local Flavors in Heraklion
Also in Heraklion, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $95
- Ecobike Wine Tasting Tour in Heraklion: $115
- Ecobike Tour with Wine Tasting: $118
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Experience in Haralabakis Winery: $119
- Half Day Small Group Wine Tour with wine Tastings: $125
- Half Day Semi Private Wine Tour with Tastings: $134
- Semi Private Heraklion Valley Wine Tour with Lunch: $159
- The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $180
- Private SUV Wine Tour with Lunch: $183
- Full Day Private Crete Wine Tour Experience from Heraklion : $190
- Full day Knossos Palace, Local Distillery, Lunch @ Archanes: $192
- Knossos, Olive Mill, Winery - Distillery with Tastings & Lunch : $196
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:
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Vodka€13
Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:
- Pub Crawl with 1 Hour of Unlimited Alcoholic Drinks: $22
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl with 1-Hour of Unlimited Drinks: $22
- Pub Crawl - 1-hour Open Bar then Vip to 5 Clubs - Krakow: $24
- Halloween Pub Crawl - Krawl Through Krakow: $24
- Pub tour in Old Town with 1 hour open bar with a guide.: $25
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl + 1-hour Open Bar: $25
- Pub Crawl with Shots, Drinks & Skip-the-Line Entry: $25
- Pub Crawl of Kazimierz Jewish Quarter with a Local Guide : $25
- Three-Hour Pub Crawl: $39
- Wieliczka Vineyard: Wine tasting with local snacks: $44
- Hoppy tours - Krakow brewery tour : $56
- Krakow Wine Tasting Private Tour with Wine Expert: $176
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Heraklion and Krakow, we can see that Heraklion is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Krakow would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Krakow and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Heraklion would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Heraklion than you might in Krakow.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Heraklion Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Heraklion or Krakow?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Heraklion. When comparing the sizes of Heraklion and Krakow, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Heraklion or Krakow?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Heraklion or Krakow in the Summer?
Both Krakow and Heraklion during the summer are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Heraklion for the beaches, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Heraklion is a little warmer than Krakow. Typically, the summer temperatures in Heraklion in July average around 25°C (78°F), and Krakow averages at about 19°C (67°F).
In Krakow, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Heraklion. In the summer, Heraklion often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Heraklion gets 366 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.
Heraklion usually gets less rain in July than Krakow. Heraklion gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyHeraklion 25°C (78°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Heraklion or Krakow in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Heraklion and Krakow. Many visitors come to Heraklion in the autumn for the city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene.
In October, Heraklion is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Heraklion average around 20°C (68°F), and Krakow fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
Heraklion usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Heraklion gets 199 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Heraklion usually receives more rain than Krakow. Heraklion gets 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberHeraklion 20°C (68°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Heraklion or Krakow in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Heraklion as well as Krakow. Most visitors come to Heraklion for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.
The weather in Krakow can be very cold. Heraklion is much warmer than Krakow in the winter. The daily temperature in Heraklion averages around 12°C (54°F) in January, and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).
In the winter, Heraklion often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Heraklion gets 121 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.
Heraklion usually gets more rain in January than Krakow. Heraklion gets 92 mm (3.6 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryHeraklion 12°C (54°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Heraklion or Krakow in the Spring?
Both Krakow and Heraklion are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The spring months attract visitors to Heraklion because of the beaches and the activities around the city.
In the spring, Heraklion is much warmer than Krakow. Typically, the spring temperatures in Heraklion in April average around 16°C (61°F), and Krakow averages at about 10°C (50°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Heraklion. Heraklion usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Heraklion gets 224 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Heraklion usually receives less rain than Krakow. Heraklion gets 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilHeraklion 16°C (61°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Heraklion
| Heraklion | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 12°C (54°F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | 12°C (54°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 14°C (56°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 16°C (61°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 19°C (67°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 23°C (74°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (78°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 25°C (77°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (73°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 20°C (68°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 17°C (63°F) | 59 mm (2.3 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | 14°C (58°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.